Former Republican James Fariello picked a great time to run for Adams County sheriff on the once-obscure American Constitution Party ticket.

Fariello was invited to speak at a recent fundraiser for Tom Tancredo, the former Republican congressman who turned Colorado politics topsy-turvy by running for governor as an American Constitution Party candidate.

Democrats, Republicans and unaffiliated voters showed up to meet Tancredo — presenting Fariello a much larger audience than he would normally encounter, although only a handful were from Adams County.

In addition to the volatile sheriff’s race in Adams County, an American Constitution Party candidate also is running in the high-profile 4th Congressional District.

Tancredo’s impact on the ticket could help other Constitution Party candidates and possibly influence the outcome in tight races, said Steve Welchert, a Democratic political consultant.

Tancredo said he got into the race because he doesn’t think the GOP nominee, Dan Maes, can beat the Democrat, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper.

Republicans, including state GOP chairman Dick Wadhams, have criticized Tancredo, saying he will split the conservative vote and hand the keys to the governor’s mansion to Hickenlooper.

Also running for governor are Libertarian Jaimes Brown and two unaffiliated candidates, Jason Clark and Paul Fiorino.

In the 4th District, four candidates are on the ballot: U.S. Rep. Betsy Markey, D-Fort Collins; Republican Cory Gardner, a state lawmaker from Yuma; American Constitution Party candidate Doug Aden from Fort Lupton; and Ken “Wasko” Waszkiewicz, unaffiliated, from Fort Collins.

Aden said there has been discussion that he would cut into Gardner’s votes, but he believes he pulls just as many from Markey because his platform parallels Americans’ concerns about “the expansion of our national debt and the increasing intrusion on our liberties.”

“I’m running for the concerned American, whether they be Republican, Democrat, third party or unaffiliated,” he said.

In the Adams sheriff’s race, incumbent Doug Darr, a Democrat, is being challenged by one of his deputies, Mark Nicastle, who switched his party affiliation to Republican to run against his boss.

Fariello, who has unsuccessfully run as a Republican for sheriff and coroner, said it’s difficult for a Republican to win in Adams County.

But Clark Bolser, the Adams County GOP chair, said Nicastle is a superb candidate and will do well, especially in a year when the political mood favors Republicans.

“A lot of Adams County Democrats don’t fit the mold of national Democrats,” Bolser said. “A lot of them will be voting for Republicans this election.”

State Sen. Lois Tochtrop, D-Thorn ton, said she believes Darr will prevail but that the sheriff’s race is going to be close, especially as Nicastle has been endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police.

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